Yamayllaku (Greetings, how are you?) My name is Daniel Watts, and I am 27 years old. I grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, with two older brothers and one younger sister. As a child, I played soccer and ran track, and throughout high school, my life revolved around academics and athletics, with the goal of graduating, going to college, and becoming a doctor.
After graduating from high school, I began college at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After my first year, I realized that this path was not the right fit for me, so I returned home and enrolled at my local community college, where I studied electricity while also working on a farm. My responsibilities included feeding and watering the cows and chickens, repairing fences, and collecting eggs. After graduating, I worked for a year as an electrician.
However, I felt called to explore a different direction, so I returned to college at Wake Forest University. There, I spent four years studying engineering, eventually shifting my focus from electrical engineering to environmental engineering. After graduating, I worked for four years as a water engineer, helping design water systems and supporting access to clean drinking water and proper sanitation in cities across the United States.
Once again, I felt a strong desire to take a new path, which led me to apply to the Peace Corps in Peru. Since June 2025, I have been living in a rural community in Peru, where I work to support access to safe, clean drinking water for the people I serve.
Peace Corps Volunteers like me live and work side by side with community members around the world, collaborating on locally prioritized projects, building relationships, exchanging cultures and knowledge, and helping transform lives for generations. Learn more by clicking here.
